Stay With Me
by invalid-reality
Summary: Post Chosen: It's just a stupid crush. A stupid, fleeting crush that comes as quickly as it goes. Just like Faith…Written for the Chosen Two Anniversary Hootenanny Fic Challenge


"Hey, watch out!" Andrew yelled out as a handful of young slayers ran past him in the main hall. He spun around on his feet, carefully balancing several large silver platters of finger sandwiches, cheeses and crackers on both hands. "Buffy!" Andrew whined as he barely made it to the long table that was set up along the far side of the hall. "Can't you please tell them this room is off-limits until the party starts later?"

Buffy laughed as she helped him with one of the silver platters. "They're just excited, Andrew," she reminded him with a smile. "Most of the girls haven't been home since last summer. Everyone looks forward to this weekend every year, you know that. It's a chance for all of the squads to get together—"

"But I can't set everything up if everyone is running around in here all—"

Both of them jumped as a loud crash echoed through the hall. Buffy turned to face Dawn who had just dropped her silver platter, hundreds of little sandwiches littered on the floor in front of her. Andrew let out an annoyed squeal as he turned on his heels and threw his hands up in the air as he walked away, muttering to himself as Buffy walked over to help Dawn clean up the mess.

"If I tell him it just slipped, do you think he'll be less mad?" Dawn asked with a frown as they placed the pieces of sandwiches on the platter, bit by bit. "Maybe he was right earlier. Maybe we should make this room off-limits until the party?"

"Don't let him hear you say that he's right," Buffy whispered and they giggled quietly as Andrew stormed back out into the hall. He stopped a few feet from the two of them with his hands on his hip and his right foot tapping the floor impatiently. "What is it now, Andrew?"

"A certain brunette slayer is currently in _my_ kitchen, helping herself to food that is specifically set aside for the party!"

"And what do you want me to do about that, Andrew?"

"Kick her out! She won't listen to me," he pouted as he stared down at Buffy, waiting and still tapping his foot impatiently on the wood floor. "She never listens to me! I tell her not to touch something, not to eat something, and she does it anyway!"

Faith. He's talking about Faith. Buffy sighed as she rose to her feet and she flashed a sympathetic frown at Dawn before she headed towards the double doors that lead into the kitchen. Sure enough, Buffy found Faith sitting on the counter by the fridge, eating fruit off a plater she had sitting next to her, earbuds in, music blasting on her iPod, legs swinging, her boots scuffing up the white cabinet doors, and she had a look on her face that would tell anyone that looked at her that she doesn't have a single care in the world.

Buffy stood in front of her and crossed her arms over her chest, unable to keep the smirk from creeping out across her lips. Faith was looking right at her, but she didn't say a single word as she grabbed a grape off the platter and popped it in her mouth.

Every year, Faith showed up there in Scotland for the party, usually at the last minute and she always left early the next morning. Most of the slayers that came from different squads around the world came there for the entire weekend, but not Faith. She never stayed. Buffy was still surprised she actually bothered to show up at all, but they all knew why she came. To drink, dance, mingle, flirt, and have a good time before she flew back to London.

"Hey, B," she said with a smile as she pulled her earbuds out one by one. "These grapes are pretty wicked. Asked Andy where he picked them up for but I couldn't understand him over all his girlish screeching about something or another."

Buffy sighed and smiled as she plucked another grape off the platter and offered it to her. Buffy took it, but not before glancing over her shoulder to make sure Andrew wasn't anywhere near and she popped it in her mouth quickly.

"Wicked, right?"

"Hmm," Buffy nodded. They we_re_ delicious. "When did you get here?"

"Like ten minutes ago?" She shrugged. "You hyped for the party tonight or what, B?"

"I'm looking forward to it, yeah," Buffy said before she crossed her arms over her chest again and she watched Faith put one earbud back into her ear, her boots hitting the cupboard doors to the beat of whatever song she had playing on her iPod.

"Something you want, B?" Faith asked before she jumped down from the counter and grabbed a handful of grapes.

"Andrew wanted me to kick you out of the kitchen."

"Right," Faith chuckled as she backed away from her. "Figured as much. I'm outta here anyway. Gonna go have a smoke and catch up with some of the junior slayers before the party."

Buffy laughed as Faith winked at her before she turned around and kicked open the double doors. Andrew's surprised shriek echoed through the hall and into the kitchen. Buffy just laughed again as he stormed into the kitchen, completely flustered and red faced. He grabbed the platter Faith had been snacking off of and groaned loudly as he held it out towards Buffy.

"Buffy, she ate half of it!"

"We have plenty of food, Andrew," Buffy reminded him calmly. "I don't know why you just don't let us bring in a caterer for the party."

"Why pay someone to do what I can do myself?"

"Wouldn't you enjoy the party more if you didn't have to worry about—"

"About Faith, the evil food stealing slayer who doesn't listen to me?"

"You just let me deal with Faith, Andrew."

"But she—"

Buffy waved him off as she headed for the double doors. She checked her silver watch on her left wrist for the time. In another hour the main hall would be packed with slayers and their guests, dates, some even brought their families to join in on the fun. It mean that Buffy only had one hour to get ready, and the thought of only having an hour to get ready would have once made her panic, but she was prepared this time. Her outfit already picked out, her nails already done. All she needed to do was shower, get dressed and do her makeup and she'd be set.

Buffy checked the progress through the hall, carefully monitoring the two slayers that were finishing up hanging the crepe paper from the ceiling. On the other side of the hall, Xander was helping the DJ set up her booth, both of them smiling, laughing, and flirting with one another. Buffy just smiled and checked over the table full of food and once she was satisfied things were all in order, she walked out into the corridor and headed for the back stairs. She stopped short when she heard the familiar sound of Faith's voice coming from just beyond the open doors that led to the courtyard, followed by the sound of laughter of whoever she was out there with.

Curious, Buffy walked towards the doors and caught sight of the other slayer that was outside with Faith and still laughing at whatever joke or story Faith had just told her. It was one of the squad leaders. Gia from Cleveland. Buffy didn't really know her, but she knew she was nineteen, Latino, and completely gorgeous. She frowned and turned away quickly, heading towards the stairs and ignoring that nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Of course Faith was interested in Gia from Cleveland. It wasn't hard not to listen to the younger slayers and their gossip after the last party and Buffy knew it hadn't been the first time that Faith and Gia had hooked up. Faith wasn't the only one who had a thing for Gia from Cleveland. Every slayer, even the straight ones, had or have a thing for her or thought she was attractive. Gia, not Faith, although Buffy knew when it came to Faith, a lot of the younger slayers had a thing for her too.

Buffy couldn't deny that Faith was attractive. She has eyes and she could appreciate a gorgeous woman just as much as the rest of them. Faith was very attractive and even a blind man could be in the same room as her and know that for a fact. It was just that thing she had about her and it was clear that whatever that _thing_ was, Gia had it too. Faith was different though and it was all in her attitude and her confidence. Faith knew she was gorgeous and Buffy knew she loved the attention she got from the younger slayers, especially the attention she got from Gia. Gia from Cleveland.

_Oh god, not this again_, Buffy thought as she started to ascend up the back stairs. She laughed at herself and shook her head. _It's just a stupid crush. A stupid, fleeting crush that comes as quickly as it goes. Just like Faith._

Buffy wasn't sure why this always happened every year when Faith showed up at Headquarters for the annual summer party. All she knew was that every year, it got worse. The crush, not the party. Definitely not Faith. Faith showed up looking as gorgeous and happy as ever, every year, and Buffy always tried to find a way to avoid her. Avoiding her wasn't an option once the drinks started flowing and when that happened, Faith was always trying to get her to dance with her. But as Buffy knew from experience, dancing with Faith was dangerous. Very dangerous. Hands in inappropriate places dangerous.

Faith had even got a little hands-y with Dawn last year after having one too many drinks. Somehow she ended up dancing with Dawn and things definitely got out of hand way too quickly. Buffy had been the one who cut her off and it ended with a very pissed off Faith leaving the party in a cab, telling Buffy to go fuck herself with the stick she always had wedged up her ass. As eloquent as always. A few days after the party, Faith had called, but she never apologized and it made Buffy wonder if she even remembered what had happened and how the night had ended. It made her wonder if she should've asked her about it, but as the months went on, the weekly phone calls stopped. Faith's life in London was always hectic. London had far more demons than anywhere else in the world and it kept Faith busy.

At least she bothered to show up this year, which Buffy wasn't sure if she would or not since the last time she tried to call her, the number was out of service. In the five years since they first started to throw the party at the beginning of summer before many of the slayers that stayed there in the castle left to spend a few months back home with their families, Faith had only missed it once. It'd been the second one and the same year that she and Satsu had hooked up. Buffy still wasn't sure if it was a coincidence or if the lame excuse Faith fed her a few weeks later was really just a cover story because she'd somehow found out about her and Satsu.

Satsu was long gone and out of the picture completely. Shortly after the second annual summer party, she transferred to Tokyo. Even though it'd been three years since Satsu had left, the awkwardness was still there and Buffy had been relieved that Satsu hadn't shown up this year.

As soon as Buffy heard Faith's voice getting closer, followed by the sound of Gia's laughter, she jogged up the last couple of steps and turned left, walking quickly down the quiet corridor to her room. She fumbled with her keys and unsuccessfully tried to open her door and she laughed at herself for even letting her mind wander to Faith as easily as it had.

What was it about Faith that got under her skin like that? They were friends now. Sort of. She didn't want to ruin that just because of some stupid fleeting little crush that snuck up on her whenever Faith was around. Right? It wasn't like she could just turn off the way she felt around Faith, and it was getting harder and harder to keep from literally throwing herself at Faith when she was around.

Buffy smiled to herself as she kicked her door shut and walked over to the wardrobe. She pulled open the doors and ran her fingers over the soft red dress that was hanging off the hook on the inside of the door. It was so soft, short, and brand new, bought specifically for that night only. Where else would she wear a dress like that anywhere in Scotland? She definitely didn't just buy it for herself, but at the time that's what she convinced herself, her reason for spending so much on a dress she'd likely only wear once.

She'd bought the dress to impress Faith and when else was she going to get the chance to do that at any other time other than the fifth Annual Slayer Organization Summer Hootenanny? Tonight would either go really well or really badly, end results to be determined by whether or not she could actually muster up the courage to make a move on Faith. She had just under an hour to get ready and to do whatever she could to push down the nerves she was most definitely starting to feel as she ran her fingers over the brand new red dress once more.

* * *

The party had been in full swing for a few hours and the drinks were definitely flowing amongst those who were old enough to be drinking. Almost everyone was dancing or mingling or hanging out by the table lined with all sorts of finger foods and appetizers that Andrew had slaved over for most of the day. Buffy stood near the DJ booth, smiling to herself as she held a glass of wine in her hand and looked around the room, taking in the happy, carefree feeling that was buzzing all over and in every single person in the room.

There was just one thing that was missing, one person, Faith specifically being that person in question. Buffy had seen her earlier, dancing with a handful of the junior slayers, but once she'd gone to the bar set up by the kitchen to get another glass of wine, she'd seen Faith hurriedly walking out of the main hall, presumably to have a cigarette outside.

So far, Buffy's plan to impress Faith with her short and form-fitting—and expensive!—red dress had worked. The moment she'd walked into the main hall and Faith's eyes met hers from across the dimly lit room, the look of pure lust was unmistakable and the appreciative whistle Faith had given her when she walked past was more than enough acknowledgement that her plans to impress had worked flawlessly. But the rest of her plan? Faltered and fell apart as soon as her nerves hit her full blast. What was wrong with her? It wasn't like she'd never been with another woman before, she'd been with Satsu. Yet making the first move on another woman, on Faith to be more specific, was a whole new territory for her.

And she wasn't just nervous. She was scared as hell.

Her eyes lingered on the doorway, waiting for Faith to come back in. She sipped her wine and sighed loudly as the music changed again and a group of junior slayers let out a holler as they started jumping around to the driving beat of the music, a song Buffy definitely wasn't familiar with, but like all the music that had been played since the party started, it was music to dance to, music that made her feel good, happy, but did nothing to quell her nerves.

"Buffy, come dance with us!"

"I'm not really—"

"Come on, Buffy!"

"Fine! One dance!"

Willow laughed as she reached out for Buffy's hand, giving her a moment to place her wine glass down on the nearest table before pulling her into the middle of the room where Kennedy and Xander were waiting for them. They all laughed as they started to move to the beat of the music, none of them pairing off, just dancing together, just the four of them in the crowd of junior slayers and squad leaders and their dates.

One song turned into another and then another and still she stayed out there, dancing with her friends, people who had become her family. She was enjoying herself thoroughly, laughing and smiling, moving her body to the beat of the music, letting it fill her and thrum through her body. She nearly stopped when she saw Xander nod her way before he weaved himself through the crowd, finding someone else to dance with while Willow and Kennedy quickly found their way into each other's arms. Suddenly, Buffy found herself in someone else's embrace, strong yet soft hands sliding over her hips, arms encircling her from behind.

Just faintly she could smell the lingering smell of cigarette smoke mixed with the distinct smell of whisky and Coke. And as she inhaled deeply, she could smell the lingering hints of vanilla and cinnamon, a smell she knew belonged to one woman and one woman only. Faith.

"Dance with me, B?" Faith whispered into her ear huskily and she nodded, unable to find the words to speak.

Buffy turned in her arms, smiling as she came face to face with her. Faith was smiling too and Buffy just looked at the small space between their bodies as she ran her hands slowly up Faith's bare arms, her touch light, barely there, raising goosebumps along the way. She closed her eyes, just for a moment, just to feel Faith's hands on her hips, her fingertips stroking the soft material of her dress. Just for that moment, she forgot how nervous and scared she was. Just for that moment she forgot she was the one that was supposed to be making a move, not Faith.

As the music changed to a song with a much slower, mellower beat, Faith pulled Buffy closer to her, their bodies flush against one another's and they began to sway to the music. Buffy loosely draped her arms over Faith's shoulders, Faith's soft, long hair tickling her bare arms as she swallowed hard and opened her eyes again.

"This is the part where you tell me to keep my hands to myself," Faith chuckled, her hands moving lower, slowly exploring the slight curve of Buffy's ass. "So?"

"So?" Buffy whispered, her breath trembling past her lips.

"So…are ya gonna sound off your usual warning or what? Isn't that how it goes every time I try to dance with you at this thing?"

Buffy bit her lower lip as she slowly shook her head no and looked at Faith with heavy lidded eyes, watching her as she looked at her in surprise. Buffy moved a hand to place it on Faith's arm, keeping her right where she was as she stroked her fingers over Faith's smooth skin. Her fingers lingered on her forearm before trailing up her biceps, feeling her muscles almost ripple beneath her touch, her eyes focused on her fingers on Faith's skin, fingers trailing up to her shoulder before she looked into her eyes again.

It created the necessary effect on Faith that Buffy sought, the shudder felt so clearly, almost as if it were her own.

_What am I doing?_

Buffy swallowed her fear, her nerves, that voice in her head that made her overthink absolutely everything. She smiled at Faith as she slid a hand through her hair, her fingertips grazing over her neck, pulling that shudder from Faith for the second time in mere minutes.

"B—"

"Just dance with me, Faith."

Faith chuckled heartily as she tightened her hold on Buffy, moving her as she moved to the music. Buffy knew they'd stepped into the dangerous dancing territory and she really couldn't care less, lost in the moment, lost in Faith and the feel of her so close to her. Touching her. Lips only inches apart.

She knew she'd kiss Faith right then, right in that moment, but only if they weren't in the presence of over a hundred slayers and their families. She'd kiss her if they were somewhere alone and still experiencing this same moment. The intensity of it was enough to send her libido twitching and urging for a touch, a taste.

Faith wasn't like anyone else she'd ever wanted or been with. Faith definitely wasn't Satsu. Faith definitely wasn't Spike, or Riley, or Angel. Everything about Faith was so different from all of them and she knew that's what made her feel the way she did about Faith. It wasn't love, it was lust and a driving need she wasn't sure she was ready to face and conquer yet.

Faith's hands slipped lower, her fingers dipping under the soft material of her red dress, fingertips teasing the backs of her thighs, inching her dress upwards, a millisecond at a time. Buffy shook her head as she pulled her body back from Faith's and she raised an eyebrow until Faith smoothed down her dress for her, reserving what she had left of her dignity and self-worth.

It was then that Faith's whole body language changed completely. She kept Buffy just inches away, stopping her from trying to move closer as her gaze wandered over the dance floor and locked on Gia who was just less than ten feet away and dancing with another slayer.

Buffy groaned quietly, unsure of what to do, what to say. She just trailed her fingers across the back of Faith's neck lightly, pulling Faith's attention back to her. She swallowed hard, never experiencing such an overwhelming urge and desire to kiss someone like she was feeling in that moment. She knew that this was her chance to make that first move and if she didn't take it, Faith's short attention span would be gravitated towards Gia once again. And she definitely couldn't have that. There was no way she was waiting a whole year to take that chance, to make that move, to kiss Faith for the first time.

Faith suddenly reached for her hand and spun her around, smiling at her as she led the way towards the doors. Confused, Buffy allowed herself to be led out into the corridor and the moment the doors shut behind them, Faith had her backed up against the wall, her hands on either side of Buffy's shoulders, palms flat against the wall.

"What game you playing at, B?" Faith asked huskily and she licked over her lips as Buffy just stared at her with wide eyes. "Hmm?"

"G—game?" Buffy stammered as Faith laughed and moved closer to her, almost touching her, their lips mere inches apart. "I don't know what you're talking about, Faith."

Faith laughed again and shook her head, not moving away from her, her eyes roaming over Buffy's body as she looked down. "This dress is sexy as hell on you, B. You wear it for someone special tonight or something?"

"I—"

"Or did you wear it to get some kind of a reaction outta me?"

"Faith…"

"Cos here's what I'm thinking," she whispered, her breath spilling past her lips and over Buffy's as she leaned in closer. "I'm thinking it'd look better on the floor while I'm fucking you, making you scream my name over and over again."

Buffy felt the tremor rumbled through her entire body, the visuals alone turning her on beyond belief. She inhaled sharply as she stared at Faith and she tentatively placed her otherwise idle hands on Faith's hips. Faith was testing her, testing the limits between them. She chewed her bottom lip for a moment and gasped as Faith dropped a hand from the wall and placed it on her hip, her fingers grazing over her, making her breath hitch in her chest.

It was now or never. Buffy inhaled sharply as she reached up and cupped her hand around the back of Faith's neck, their eyes locked together in a heady gaze. She leaned forward those few inches, brushing her lips against Faith's in a soft, light kiss. Faith moaned quietly as she pulled Buffy flush against her, kissing her back hard, her lips parting, tongue darting out for a taste. Buffy felt all her inhibitions fade away as she kissed her back, their tongues dancing, dominating as the kiss went from zero to sixty in seconds.

And then it was over just as quickly as it had started, both of them breathing heavily, not moving from each other as the sound of giggles sounded down the corridor. Buffy shakily breathed out as she looked to her right and saw a handful of junior slayers walking away from them in the corridor. Her eyes met Faith's again after a moment and it was a look she'd seen before, one that had always been geared towards someone of interest, a look she'd never been on the receiving end of before.

Choosing to stop thinking and overthinking the situation she'd put herself in, Buffy pulled her back in for another kiss, kissing her hard and deep as she arched her body into Faith's. There was nothing but pure passion fuelling between them as hands started to wander. Buffy gasped into Faith's mouth as she felt Faith's hand slide under the helm of her dress along the outside of her right thigh, but she didn't stop her, her whole body felt like it was on fire and it longed for Faith's touch.

All she had wanted was to kiss Faith, but they were at the line now where if they crossed it, it'd be more than just making out with Faith in the corridor. It'd lead in the exact direction it always did when it came to Faith and her conquests and even though Buffy hadn't intended for it to go that far, the feel of Faith's hand sliding under her dress slowly, the feel of her lips and tongue against her own, it made her want more, to know Faith's touch more intimately.

"Faith?"

"Hmm?" Faith leaned back to look at her, her skin flushed, her lips slightly swollen, her hand suddenly stopping its descent under her dress. "Too far?"

"No."

Faith chuckled as she slid her hand around to grasp at Buffy's ass. "You want more, B?"

"Y—yes."

"How about we ditch the party then? Find someplace a little more…private," Faith whispered as she licked over her lips. "You down for it, B?"

Buffy nodded, unable to speak because the nerves came barreling back, hitting her twice as hard. She pulled Faith back in for another kiss and there was nothing soft or sweet or tender about it. She couldn't stop the moan that slipped past her lips as Faith's hand moved to her inner thigh, not hesitating to move those few inches higher, fingertips brushing against her panties almost tentatively.

Buffy was painfully reminded that they were in the corridor as the door to the main hall opened. She pulled back from Faith's lips with a jolt and reached down to pull Faith's hand out from under her dress. She held on to Faith's hand, intertwining her fingers with Faith's and she led her towards the back stairs, not looking back, not saying a word, too afraid if she did, she'd somehow manage to talk herself out of what would happen next.

"B, hold up," Faith said as they reached the stairs. Buffy inhaled deeply, closing her eyes and refusing to turn to look back at Faith. "Seriously, B, hold up."

"Why?"

Faith chuckled as she let go of her hand and wrapped her arms around her, her lips kissing along Buffy's shoulder as her hands smoothed up her stomach and cupped her breasts. Buffy's hands fell on top of Faith's and she was lost in the flood of new sensations Faith was making her feel.

"I'm gonna go grab a bottle of wine," she whispered into Buffy's ear. "Why don't ya go and wait for me in your room, hmm? I'll be up in a few."

Buffy turned and captured Faith's lips in a short yet intense kiss and when she pulled apart, they were both smiling. Faith moaned as she ran her thumb over Buffy's semi-erect nipples and placed a few wet kisses along her shoulder before she pulled away.

Buffy breathed shakily as she turned and watched Faith strut down the corridor towards the main hall doors and she glanced back at Buffy, winking as she pulled the door open and headed inside. With a few deep breaths, Buffy turned and climbed up the stairs, her heart racing, her body thrumming with desire as she walked down to her room, her high heels clacking against the wood floor quickly. She paused as she reached her door and she held on to the doorknob, hesitating for a moment before she opened the door and walked inside.

Was this really happening? Was she going to let Faith have her way, fuck her all night long and make her cum seven ways to Sunday? Deep down Buffy knew this would happen if she made a move with Faith. And deep down she _wanted_ this to happen.

Buffy kicked off her heels and walked to the bathroom where she checked her hair and makeup. She stared at herself for a minute in the mirror, her mind racing just as quickly as her heart. This was really going to happen and she wasn't going to allow her thoughts to talk herself out of it. Laughing softly, she pulled her hair out of the loose ponytail and shook her hair free. She stared at her reflection as she ran her fingers through her hair and she knew that this was just another one-night stand for Faith and that she couldn't think of it as anything else but that. This was Faith, queen of the one-night stands, master of the get some and get gone, and that hadn't changed over the last five years and she couldn't expect it to now either.

A soft knock sounded on her bedroom door and she flipped off the light as she slipped out of the bathroom just as Faith walked in empty handed. Faith laughed dryly as she shut the door behind her and casually put her hands in the front pocket of her black jeans.

"They wouldn't let me take a bottle of wine," she said quietly. "Whatever, right?"

"Maybe that's for the best."

"Oh yeah?" Faith asked as Buffy walked up to her slowly.

"Yeah," Buffy nodded as she reached out and slid her hands up Faith's arms as Faith pulled her hands out of her pockets. "It's not like we came up here to drink, right?"

Faith laughed heartily as she wrapped her arms around Buffy. "Yeah, you're right, B. We definitely didn't come up here to drink."

They kissed hungrily as Faith wasted no time in backing Buffy up towards the bed. When the backs of her legs hit the edge of the bed, Faith broke away from the kiss, both of them breathing hard as Faith kicked off her boots, her lips instantly back on Buffy's as they fell onto the bed together. Buffy's whole body was reacting to Faith's touch and she moaned as Faith sucked on her bottom lip before moving to kiss over her neck.

Buffy moaned as Faith slid a hand up to cup her breast, her lips kissing and sucking at her pulse point as she rubbed her thumb over a hardening nipple. Faith moved a leg between Buffy's, driving her thigh up against her pussy as she moved to kiss her again. Buffy's hips surged forward against Faith's thigh, her pussy throbbing, aching for more. They kissed hard as Buffy slipped her hands under the tight red top Faith was wearing, her fingers lightly exploring the soft skin of Faith's toned stomach.

They broke apart from their kiss as Faith's hand trailed down Buffy's side, their eyes locked in a lustful gaze as Faith slipped her hand between their bodies. She pulled up the hem of Buffy's dress before sliding her hand between her legs, touching her fully over her panties. Buffy tugged at Faith's shirt and she couldn't take her eyes off of Faith's stomach as Faith leaned back and pulled her shirt off, tossing it to the floor behind her before she slipped her hand back between Buffy's legs, her fingers slipping under the edge of her panties, fingers slipping over wet folds as their eyes stayed locked together in a lustful gaze.

Buffy breathed out slowly, her hips rolling against Faith's hand as she moved her hands down to the top of Faith's jeans. Her fingers dipped under the waistband momentarily before she quickly unbuttoned them and slid down the zipper. Faith licked over her lips, her breath hitching as Buffy slipped a hand inside her pants, her fingers wriggling under the elastic of her panties before descending further inside the warm confines of Faith's pants.

"Touch me," Faith whispered as Buffy hesitated, her fingers stopping suddenly as she reached the closely cropped hair. "Touch me, B," Faith whispered, slipping her fingers through Buffy's folds, a single fingertip teasing at her hole.

Buffy was almost surprised at how wet Faith was as she slid her hand the rest of the way and allowed her fingers to tentatively explore over Faith's hot, wet pussy. Buffy reached up with her free hand, it landing on the back of Faith's head as she pulled her in for another kiss. As she slid a finger inside of Faith's clenching hole, she knew whatever line there was between the two of them, between friendship and whatever this was, they had jumped right over it and there was no turning back now, no stopping. The only direction was forwards.

Buffy's brain literally checked out as Faith thrust two fingers inside of her unexpectedly. Her whole body thrust upwards and into Faith's as she mirrored Faith's thrusting fingers, fucking her deep and hard. Buffy's body shuddered and shook beneath Faith's as her orgasm gripped her suddenly and unexpectedly and she moaned into Faith's mouth as she came, hard and fast against Faith's dexterous fingers.

Faith chuckled huskily as she stilled her fingers inside of Buffy. She placed a soft kiss on her lips before moving to kiss down Buffy's neck. She kept her fingers buried inside of Buffy, moving down her body a little bit at a time until Buffy pulled her hand out of Faith's pants, unable to keep touching her, with her slowly moving away from her and letting her lips explore the skin just below Buffy's collarbone.

Buffy rolled her hips against Faith's hand and Faith let out another throaty chuckle as she deftly slipped her fingers out from inside of her and pulled her hand out from under Buffy's panties. Hot open mouthed kisses distracted Buffy and she closed her eyes tight in pleasure as Faith's hand moved to pull down the straps of her dress. She focused on Faith's lips, how they'd linger on her skin with every kiss and she focused on Faith's hand, her fingers easing down the top of her dress and exposing her breasts to the slightly cool and damp air in the room.

As Faith's lips wrapped around a stiff nipple, Buffy didn't hold back the low moan that trembled past her parted lips. She had expected fast with Faith, not that it hadn't gone from zero to sixty in mere minutes between them, with her already having cum hard, but Faith moved unhurriedly now, taking her time, tasting her skin, her lips and tongue teasing her hard nipple, eliciting more soft, low moans from her.

She loved that Faith was taking her time, but she was so turned on, her body thrumming in pleasure, that if they didn't lose the clothes, she most definitely was going to lose her mind. Buffy ran her hands over Faith's bare shoulders, her fingers just dancing over the clasp. After a brief moment of hesitation, and one that had her fumbling to get the clasp undone on the first try, she freed Faith from the confined of her sexy black, lacy bra.

"Faith…"

"Mmm?"

"Come here."

Faith lifted her head up and breathed over her moistened skin and it sent delicious chills down Buffy's spine. She beckoned Faith to come closer, and she moved slowly back up Buffy's body, throwing her bra off to the floor behind her and she settled her weight down on top of Buffy, smiling as she leaned in to kiss her.

Buffy grinned against her lips and she flipped Faith onto her back, quickly moving to straddle her hips. Faith looked a little surprised at the move, but Buffy wasn't a pillow queen and she wasn't going to start being one either. She wanted to touch Faith everywhere, she wanted to kiss every dip, every curve, find every spot that made Faith moan and sigh and scream her name into the quiet of the room.

But most of all she wanted to get Faith out of her pants and return the favour, to get her off until she had enough, until she begged her to stop and to beg her when she was ready for more. Now this was definitely new territory for her and while she'd been with Satsu, she never really reciprocated when it came to oral. Satsu hadn't minded, she wasn't ready. But boy, oh boy was she ready now with Faith.

Buffy's eyes went wide as she glanced back at the door, but in the dimly lit bedroom, she couldn't tell if it had been locked or not. Faith sat up a little, her hands roaming up Buffy's thighs as Buffy turned to look at her.

"What's up?"

"Did you lock it?"

"Nah, B, I didn't," she said and she tried to grab on to Buffy as she bolted off of her and off the bed. "It's not like anyone is gonna come looking for us when they're all enjoying the party."

"I'm not taking any chances," Buffy replied and she quickly locked the door before turning around on the balls of her heels to look over at Faith. "Now, where were we?"

"Hold up," Faith chuckled as she leaned back on her elbows and looked Buffy up and down. "How about you shimmy your sexy little ass outta that dress first?"

Buffy chuckled and reached for the zipper on the back of the dress. She pulled it down slowly, watching Faith watching her. With every step she took back towards the bed, she pulled the zipper down and she let the dress fall and pool around her bare feet. She trailed her fingers over the edge of her panties, wondering if she should leave them on or have them join her dress on the floor. She looked at Faith, waiting for her to say something, but she said nothing as she reached out for Buffy and pulled her down on top of her quickly.

"Knew it'd look better on the floor," she whispered huskily into her ear.

"There's just one problem."

"There is?"

"You're not fucking me and making me scream your name, over and over again."

Faith laughed and she tried to roll them over so she would end up on top again, but Buffy wasn't having it. She had it set in her mind that she was going to take care of Faith first, get her off with her lips, her tongue and her fingers first before Faith could have her own naughty little way with her.

"But you know, that can wait," Buffy said after a brief pause between them. "Because guess what, Faith?"

"You're on top and—"

"It's your turn."

"We're doing turns then?" Faith grinned salaciously as she wriggled her body under Buffy. "Can't wait until I get another go. The things I'm gonna do to you…"

"Is gonna have me screaming your name over and over again?" Buffy asked, sounding as innocent as she could as she smoothed her hands up Faith's flat, toned stomach and cupped her full breasts. She licked over her lips and dipped her head down to whisper into Faith's ear, "I can't wait."

She licked at her earlobe and moved her lips down to Faith's neck, biting and sucking at her pulse point as she ran her thumbs over Faith's hardening nipples. Her skin tasted just as good as her lips did and Buffy briefly had a thought of how easy it'd be to become addicted to the taste of Faith, to all of her.

Faith's hands were roaming over her back and shoulders, her breathing heavy as Buffy's lips made a slow descent down her chest. She placed her hands on either side of Faith on the bed and trailed her tongue over Faith's left breast, purposely avoiding touching her hard nipple before she trailed her tongue over to her right breast. She glanced up at Faith, whose eyes were closed and her mouth partly open, her breath coming out in short, heavy little gasps and moans.

Buffy tuned out the loud, boisterous laughter she could hear coming from down in the main hall and she focused her sole attention to Faith's hard nipple just mere inches from her lips. She breathed out slowly and slipped her tongue out, teasing her heated flesh for a moment before wrapping her lips around her nipple and she sucked, gently at first, eliciting a sexy little moan out of Faith before she sucked a little harder, her tongue flicking the tip.

"Fuck," Faith cried out as her hands buried themselves into Buffy's hair.

Buffy moved to her left breast, paying the same treatment to her nipple, sucking hard and eliciting a throaty moan out of Faith. She liked it rough, it seemed and Buffy was in no way going to hold back in giving her exactly what she needed and wanted and enjoyed the most.

Buffy leaned back, smiling down at Faith as she moved to kneel between her legs. Faith moaned breathily as she stared at Buffy, watching her hands as they tugged on her jeans, pulling them down slowly and revealing the matching black, lacy thong she wore underneath. Faith moved her hands down and slid her thong down as Buffy pulled her tight jeans off and tossed them to the floor.

As Buffy looked at Faith and grasped her thong, sliding it off the rest of the way, she felt the nerves come back, slamming into her hard and nearly taking her breath away. Faith laid out in front of her, legs partially spread, her fingers splaying over her stomach, stroking her skin, waiting for Buffy to make her next move.

Faith's legs were impossibly smooth as she ran her palms over her knee and up her thighs. She spread Faith's legs wider as she slid down to lay on her stomach between her legs. Her fingers trembled as she tentatively reached Faith's pussy and she inhaled sharply, inhaling the musky scent of Faith's arousal before she leaned in and lightly ran her tongue the length of her wet, glistening slit. She didn't pull back, she just savoured the taste of Faith, her tongue darting out for another long, lingering lick along her slit before she circled the tip around Faith's clit.

Her right hand flew up and she placed her palm firmly on Faith's lower abdomen, her hips bucking up and nearly throwing Buffy away from her. She kept Faith still as she licked her again, dipping her tongue inside her hot, tight hole. She used her left hand to spread Faith's lips, allowing her to taste her more fully as she licked at her again, her tongue teasing and tasting. Faith's steady stream of moans and gasps were music to her ears and she continued to tease her, smiling when Faith's hands moved to her hair, her fingers slipping through her hair as she gripped on to Buffy's head and forced her to look up at her.

"Stop fucking teasing me," Faith growled lowly. "Fuck, B, you're driving me crazy. I need you to fuck me."

"Hmm? Is that right, Faith? You _need_ me to fuck you?"

Faith let out a strangled groan as Buffy flicked her tongue over her clit. She held back the laugh she felt ready to escape since she was thoroughly enjoying seeing Faith so frustrated from being teased like that. Buffy swallowed hard as she slid her middle finger inside of Faith, watching as it slid through heated, wet flesh that grasped at her finger and sucked her in.

Buffy dipped her head back down, her lips wrapping around Faith's clit, her tongue flicking and rolling the little bundle of nerves before she sucked on it nice and hard. Faith moaned loudly as her back arched up off the bed. Buffy didn't let up on her ministrations to Faith's clit while she fucked her with her finger, adding a second to the mix that pulled a loud moan past Faith's lips that rumbled through her body and into Buffy's.

"Fuck, Buffy," Faith moaned as she let go of her head and grasped at the sheets. "I'm gonna cum. Don't stop…fuck, don't stop…"

Buffy, completely pleased with herself for getting Faith off quickly, didn't stop, not even as the orgasm rippled through Faith with a force to be reckoned with. She didn't stop, not even when Faith's body went limp and she slid her fingers out from inside of her and replaced them with her tongue. She licked and sucked and fucked Faith with her tongue, her thumb circling over her throbbing clit. She could feel Faith's heart racing, she could feel her heat growing hotter, her body growing tense again as a second orgasm flooded through her body.

Buffy planted soft, wet kisses along her inner thighs, taking one last lick of her pussy before she crawled her way up Faith's body and gently stroked her cheek with her fingers. Faith grinned lazily as she opened her eyes, her breath still coming out in short, hard gasps.

"Fuck, B," she chuckled throatily. "That was great."

"Yeah?"

"Hell yeah," she grinned and she captured Buffy's lips in a hard, intense kiss that ended far too quickly for Buffy. "Guess what?"

"Hmm?"

Faith flipped her over onto her back and she laughed as Faith wriggled her eyebrows at her. "It's my turn, B."

"Can't wait."

The minutes turned into hours and neither let up, neither of them stopping for long, just long enough to catch their breath before they were right back at it again. Buffy hadn't felt that way in a long time and she was thoroughly enjoying her time with Faith, fucking her for hours until the first rays of sunlight started to poke over the horizon.

Faith groaned quietly as she collapsed beside Buffy on the disheveled bed and stared blankly up at the ceiling. Buffy stretched out, her body protesting and sore in every delicious way possible. She rolled on to her side and ran her fingers over the love-bites she'd left along Faith's stomach, love-bites that were already starting to fade and would be gone in a few short hours.

"That was fucking great," Faith grinned, but it faltered and faded as she grabbed on to Buffy's wandering hand and pulled it away from her body. "I'm gonna go. Got a flight to catch in a few hours and—"

"Faith?" Buffy asked as she sat up with her and held firm onto her hand. "Stay with me?"

Faith shook her head no, pulling her hand free from Buffy's as she slipped off the bed. Buffy bit her bottom lip, the tears welling up in her eyes despite already knowing hours ago that this would end up happening. Get some and get gone. Some things never would change, would they?

"Faith, please?" Buffy whispered, watching as she grabbed her clothes and quickly got dressed. "Come back and lay here with me, hold me for a little while and stay?"

"Can't, B," Faith whispered, her voice cracking slightly as she kept her back to her and zipped up her jeans. Buffy watched her shoulders rise and fall as she inhaled deeply and she turned around and knelt down on the bed next to her. "It was one helluva party this year, huh, B? Best one yet."

"Faith…"

Faith shook her head no and kissed her one last time before she backed away from the bed and grabbed her boots. "I don't stay. Not ever."

"Not even for me?"

"I—I'm sorry, B. I'll call ya sometime, we'll catch up, yeah?"

Buffy turned to look away, not able to watch Faith just walk away after the night they'd just had together. After everything, Faith couldn't and wouldn't stay and that hurt a lot more than she thought it would. As soon as the door clicked shut behind Faith, she let the tears fall and she turned to lay on her stomach and buried her face into her pillow to muffle the choked sobs that wracked through her body uncontrollably.

Buffy stayed in her room, not leaving even when Dawn knocked on her door and told her Faith and a bunch of other junior slayers were leaving for the airport and they wanted to say goodbye. She didn't leave her room, not until later that day when the tears had finally stopped and she willed herself to get out of bed and shower, to wash away the scent of Faith that still lingered all over her.

It wasn't until she headed out to one of the terraces to watch the sunset that she realized she'd made a mistake. She never should've given in to her stupid, fleeting crush on Faith. She never should've kissed her. She never should've let her in her bed and between her legs. It was just a mistake.

A stupid mistake that left her with a broken heart.

* * *

(_One Year Later…_)

"I don't like it," Andrew muttered as he watched the army of servers place two dozen trays along the table. "Why pay someone to do what I am perfectly capable of doing myself, Buffy?"

Buffy shrugged as she went over her checklist, making sure the caterer they hired to feed the party hadn't forgotten anything they ordered. Andrew wasn't happy, but at a meeting they had a month ago after getting almost double the RSVP's they had last year, she knew it was just too much for Andrew to pull off on his own. Even if he enslaved a few of the younger slayers to help him prepare enough food for the party.

"At least you can enjoy the party this year," Buffy said quietly and she lifted the pen to her lips and chewed on the capped end thoughtfully. "And you don't have to worry about a certain slayer sneaking in the kitchen and eating all the food, nor do you have to worry about the main hall being taken over by rowdy slayers. There are rules this year, just like you wanted. I thought you'd be happy."

"I am happy," Andrew beamed. "See? Ecstatically happy except for—no, no!" Andrew ran off towards one of the servers. "You can't put the sushi platter next to the cheese platter! It goes over there!"

Buffy rolled her eyes and headed for the kitchen to make sure everything was going according to plan inside. She placed her clipboard down on the counter, satisfied that this years party was going to be the best one yet. She tensed, however, when she heard the unmistakable sound of Faith's laughter erupting in the main hall and she walked over to the kitchen door and peeked out through the little round window.

Her heart lurched at the sight of Faith, looking as gorgeous and happy as ever as she teased Andrew, the pair of them laughing as Andrew tried to chase her out of the hall. She ducked away from the window as Faith headed straight for her and she raced out of the kitchen to the other doors that led out into the large dining hall.

Faith wasn't even supposed to be there. She hadn't even responded to the RSVP, but then again she never did and always showed up anyway. They hadn't even talked since Faith left early that morning a whole year ago and it had taken Buffy months—_months!_—to get over her, to bury whatever feelings lingered for her deep inside. It'd taken far too long for her to forget about their night together and how good it'd been right up until she made the stupid mistake of asking Faith to stay with her.

She hadn't meant for those words to slip out, they just did. She wanted to snuggle, to bask in the post coital happiness with her new lover. She wanted to laugh and talk about anything, everything and nothing at all. She wanted all of it even though she knew it'd never be that way. Not with Faith. Never with Faith.

"Buffy?"

Buffy groaned as Faith jogged up behind her, catching up to her before she could reach the back stairs and flee up to her bedroom to avoid her completely.

"Yo, B? Wait up, will ya?" Faith called out to her and Buffy stopped walking and crossed her arms over her chest as she turned to look at Faith. "You're looking good, B."

"What do you want, Faith?"

"Came to say hi," Faith replied with a grin. It faded however when Buffy just stared at her with a stoic expression on her face. "What, I can't come say hi or something?"

"A year, Faith."

"Yeah, there's always a year between these parties. Ever think of throwing another bash or—"

"You never called."

"Got busy, what do you want me to say?"

"Busy?" Buffy laughed incredulously as she started to walk up the stairs. "Too busy to call like you said you were going to?"

"Come on, B!" Faith called out as she walked up the stairs behind her. "Life got hectic when I got back to London. What do you want me to say? That I'm sorry?"

"Depends on what you're sorry for."

"Damn," Faith laughed bitterly as she followed Buffy down the corridor to her room. "I fucking knew you were gonna be such a chick about us hooking up."

"Is that why you never called?" Buffy snapped and she shook her head. "You know what? I don't even care anymore. I knew what I was getting myself into when I invited you into my bed."

"B, look, I _am_ sorry I never called, okay?" Faith said gently as she stepped in front of her, stopping her from walking into her room. "I'm not sorry for what happened though. You know why?"

"Why?"

Faith grinned as she placed her hands on Buffy's hips and pulled her in close. "Cos you're the best I've ever had, B. Nobody has or ever will top ya. Just thought you'd want to know that."

"Good to know I'm a memorable notch on your headboard, now if you'll excuse me, I have a party to get ready for."

"B—"

Buffy shook her head no as she stepped past Faith and walked into her room. "I'll see you later, Faith. I'm pretty sure Gia from Cleveland is already here and probably looking for you right now. You might want to get on that, because I'm pretty sure there are more than a handful of girls looking to get to know her a little bit better this year, if you know what I mean?"

"Buffy—"

Buffy slammed the door in her face, her hands shaking as she locked it and backed away slowly. She inhaled deeply and headed for the bathroom, trying to forget her little encounter with Faith and definitely trying to forget how _good_ that night had been at the same time. Seeing Faith had sparked a lot of buried feeling inside of her and that stupid, not so fleeting crush was back with a vengeance.

_No cute, sexy little red dress this year_, Buffy thought as she turned on the water in the shower and stripped out of her clothes. _Nope, no sexy anything. Not this year._

It didn't take Buffy long to get ready and the simple outfit she'd chosen was practical yet comfortable, if not safe all together. The black dress pants fit her nicely and the beige tank top had a slight shine to it when the light hit it just right. She left her long hair down and wore her silver hoop earrings, her makeup light and subtle. She had her favourite pair of heels on and as she stood in front of the floor length mirror on the side of the wardrobe, she smiled and smoothed her hands over her clothes.

As soon as she had her silver bangles on her wrists, her dainty cross necklace securely on her neck, she gave herself one more once over in the mirror before she headed back downstairs to check over things at the last minute before they would open up the main hall to the hundreds of guests who were waiting for the party of the year to start.

Buffy kept herself busy once the guests started to file into the main hall, laughing and catching up with squad leaders she hadn't had time to talk to at the last party, for obvious reasons. She mingled and drank and danced, all while avoiding Faith and the pointed gaze that was fixated on her for hours. As the night went on, Buffy stopped worrying about how Faith was making her feel and focused only on enjoying herself. That's what the party was for, for everyone to kick back, have some fun and enjoy themselves completely, after all.

The only thing was, Faith wasn't enjoying herself and she was sulking near a corner with a bottle of beer in one hand, avoiding and ignoring anyone who tried to talk to her. Buffy was drawn to her as she danced in between Xander and Willow and she frowned at how miserable Faith looked. She sighed and motioned to Xander and Willow she'd be right back and she weaved her way through the dancing crowd and over to where Faith was standing.

"Can we talk?"

"Sure," Faith shrugged and she lifted the beer bottle to her lips and took a swig.

"Can we go somewhere a little more private?"

"Whatever," she shrugged again and Buffy groaned in annoyance as she grabbed on to Faith's hand and led her through the kitchen and out the back door that led to a small courtyard on the east end of the castle. "What's up?"

"Are you not having fun?"

"Tons, B. The party is a blast, like always."

"Then why are you—"

"Why am I what?" Faith asked and she placed the bottle down on the cobbled stones and pulled a pack of cigarettes of her back pocket. "Mind if I have a smoke?"

"Go ahead."

"Why am I what?" Faith asked again after she lit a cigarette.

"Not having fun? Sulking in a corner and looking completely miserable?"

"Doesn't matter."

Buffy laughed bitterly as she shook her head. "Of course it matters, Faith! Why are you even here if you're acting like this is the last place you even want to be right now?"

"Cos I wanted to see you again."

"No, you wanted to fuck me again," Buffy corrected her. "Well, I'll tell you right now that it's not going to happen. They're called one-night stands for a reason and—"

"I fucked up," Faith muttered as she stared at the ground. "I fucked up okay? I'm sorry, Buffy. I'm sorry I didn't stay. I'm sorry I never called. I'm sorry I showed up here pretending like everything was the way it used to be when it's not."

"I—what?" Buffy blinked as she watched Faith fidget with her cigarette, her thumb rolling over the filter idly. "I'm sorry, but what? Did you just…apologize to me?"

"Whatever," she sighed, her eyes still trained to the ground. "I just—I'm sorry. For everything."

Buffy dropped her arms to her side, watching as Faith shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. She took a long drag of her cigarette and tilted her head back to look up at the night sky, the stars twinkling brightly overhead and not a single cloud to be seen as far as the eye could see. Faith sighed heavily as she finally allowed herself to look at Buffy and their eyes locked in a rather intense gaze neither could look away from.

"It hurt," Buffy said quietly. "When you left, it hurt."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"I—I just—Faith, what happened that night was—"

"A mistake."

"Incredible," Buffy whispered and she waited until Faith flicked her cigarette to the ground before she stepped closer to her and slipped her hands around Faith's waist. "It wasn't a mistake. It felt that way for a long time, Faith, but when it comes down to it, you and me and that night? It was incredible and no matter how hard I've tried to forget the way you made me feel, I can't. I just can't. But it hurts too."

"Cos I didn't stay."

"I knew you wouldn't."

"Wish I did, though," Faith whispered, her lips inching closer to Buffy's as she wrapped her arms around her. "It's never been easy between us, has it?"

"No, but—"

"Buffy, can I talk here? Please?" Faith asked gently and Buffy nodded and she chewed on her bottom lip as Faith sighed quietly. "It's never been easy, but we got through a lot of shit and moved on. I dunno, we were kinda like friends, right? Then last year, when I first saw you, I knew. I just knew the moment I laid my eyes on you when you busted me for eating off of one of the platters after Andy ratted me out. I just knew and it was driving me crazy for hours."

"What was?"

"Knowing how much I wanted you," she whispered. "Not just for that night either, B, but I freaked when you asked me to stay. I fucked up. I fucked everything up."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying…" She trailed off as she laughed nervously. "I'm saying I wanted more."

"You wanted more?" Buffy asked her, feeling confused as to what Faith was trying to tell her. "Explainy?"

"I ain't stupid. I know you felt it too. I felt it in every touch," Faith said and she lifted a hand to Buffy's shoulder and gently stroked her fingers along her skin. "And I felt it in every kiss," she whispered, her lips faintly brushing over Buffy's not quite kissing her. "And when I got here today, I realized something else."

"What?"

"If I'd stayed with you that night, today would be more than just another party, B."

"Hmm? And just what would it be, Faith?"

"It'd be, I dunno, like our anniversary or something."

Buffy laughed quietly as Faith shrugged again, but neither of them backed away and Faith still stroked her fingers over her shoulder gently. "Our anniversary?"

"Stupid, right?" Faith muttered and she shook her head as she frowned. "I've been going completely fucking insane all year, trying to figure out how to apologize to you and I took the cowards way out and avoided you all together. Couldn't miss the party though, you know? And then I realized maybe I could win you back."

"Win me back? Faith, you never even had me in the first place, how can you—"

"B, can you just…" Faith trailed off and laughed. "This is already hard for me to talk about this and you're just…being you and I sound like a complete fucking idiot cos here I am rambling on and on about wishing how I stayed and that we were, I dunno together, and that we could've been celebrating our anniversary today instead of everything being so fucked up, you know?"

Buffy just smiled at her as she watched a flurry of emotions fly over Faith's features. She was nervous, Buffy could see it in her eyes just as much as she could feel it coming off of her in waves.

"I know it's probably too fucking late, or whatever, but—" Faith was cut off by Buffy's lips kissing her firmly. She pulled back and shook her head. "Don't know if you'll forgive me for being such a jackass, but—" Faith groaned as Buffy kissed her again, harder this time and slipping a tongue past Faith's lips to deepen the kiss. She pulled back again after another minute and sighed as she smiled. "Guess that means you kind of forgive me then, B?"

"Starting to," Buffy replied with a teasing tone to her voice. "But, the way I see it?"

"See what?"

"A year, Faith?"

"Y—yeah?" Faith stammered and she frowned slightly. "I'm so fucking sorry, B, you don't even know how—"

"Forgiving you is going to take some time. Maybe it would've been easier if you called me, if we talked about this before now. But," Buffy said and she paused as she placed a single finger across Faith's lips to keep her from interrupting her again. "If you're serious about this, Faith, I'm not saying no."

"For real?"

"And, Faith?" Buffy said as she pulled Faith towards a large bush, hiding them from the sight of the few junior slayers who came out the door, giggling and laughing as they entered the courtyard. "I just have one condition."

"What's that, B?"

"Stay with me."

Faith grinned as she leaned in to kiss her, the kiss hard and deep and passionate and full of promises yet to be spoken of. When they broke apart, they both laughed and Faith leaned her forehead against Buffy's, the sound of the junior slayers laughing nearby not pulling their attention from one another. Faith inhaled deeply as Buffy waited. She wanted to hear the words. She wanted Faith to say it, to promise her that she'd stay.

She wasn't sure where this was going or if she could trust Faith not to break her heart, but Faith was right about one thing. She had felt it that night. She'd felt it in every touch and in every kiss and saw it with every longing look Faith gave her.

"I'll stay, B."

"For how long?"

"However long you want me to," Faith smiled at her. "Just as long as you promise me one thing too?"

"Hmm?"

"Stay with me, too?"

Buffy chuckled as she stepped out of her arms, their hands linking together briefly before Buffy let go as she walked backwards. "Maybe," she winked as Faith started to follow her.

"Maybe, huh?"

"Maybe I just need you to remind me how it's so totally, completely worth it to stay and I'll do the same…"

"Luring me back into your bed already, B?"

"Why, you have somewhere else you need to be right now?"

"No," Faith chuckled as she wrapped her arms around Buffy and spun her around. "Ain't nowhere else I gotta be but here with you…"

**The End**


End file.
